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At least Steve Bruce is adamant he can turn Aston Villa round. After another half-baked performance, and another abject display on the road, it was inevitable that Bruce would face questions over his future, after a winless start to the Championship, in a season where promotion is non-negotiable.

John Terry presumably was not labouring under the assumption he had signed up for a leisurely stroll into retirement when he joined Aston Villa, but any faint notion life in the Championship will be easy, or even pleasurable, was dispelled on Saturday. His new side’s draw with Hull City was a broadly disjointed affair with occasional moments of quality and frequent spells of frustration. So, a fairly appropriate introduction to the Championship, then.

Aston Villa have “spiralled out of control” financially, said Steve Bruce as he spoke of the irritation at having his hands tied in the summer transfer market. The manager has encountered restrictions owing to financial fair play, which he says the club are “on the cusp” of failing, and suggested he was not made fully aware of the situation when he accepted the job last October.